BLUE OYSTER CULT, DEEP PURPLE, BAD COMPANY, THE SCORPIONS, TED NUGENT, and CHEAP TRICK. These bands are just a handful of the 1970’s hard rock icons that are still around in the new millennium, putting out new albums and jaunting around the globe performing in front of thousands of rock fans each year. Okay, so they may not be top ten hitmakers anymore, but the music, history, and perseverance of these rock legends cannot be ignored. CHEAP TRICK is one of the few 1970s bands who have adapted easily to the ever-changing boundaries in the music business today. Case in point, in the last few years CHEAP TRICK have released three live concerts on DVD, CHEAP TRICK LIVE IN AUSTRAILIA, SILVER, and MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS. Together in conjunction with the band (consisting of Rick Neilson - guitars, Bun E. Carlos - drums, Tom Petersson - bass, and vocalist Robin Zander), Rhino Home Video presents CHEAP TRICK MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS on DVD, along with a slew of extras sure to please long time CHEAP TRICK fans.

How does MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS differ from previous CHEAP TRICK home videos? Well the group has gone back to their roots so-to-speak, and the set list is limited to the songs from their classic first four albums, CHEAP TRICK, IN COLOR, DREAM POLICE, and HEAVEN TONIGHT. So in addition to the hit songs from those albums, the group plays several other rarer songs that they haven’t played in years. This exclusive concert contains four songs from the debut album CHEAP TRICK, (The Ballad of TV Violence, Taxman Mr. Thief, Hot Love, Mandocello), three songs from IN COLOR (I Want You to Want Me, Oh Caroline, So Good to See You), three songs from HEAVEN TONIGHT (Surrender, How Are You, Oh Claire), two songs from DREAM POLICE (Gonna Raise Hell, Dream Police), and one from ONE ON ONE, their hit song If You Want My Love. The performances for MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS are culled from a four night celebration of CHEAP TRICK’s early years that took place from April 30^th to May 3^rd , 1998 at Chicago’s Metro Theater. This means you’ll see that the band members change clothes more than once and the audience participation changes as well. Rick Neilson, looking more like a honorable member of ZZ TOP, can still can shred better than his idol, Keith Richards. Tom Petersson plays on twelve string bass, while providing background vocals. Bun E Carlos (looking more like an aging college professor) lays down the back-beat foundation. Robin Zander looks the youngest and his distinct melodic vocals are more powerful than ever. The fourteen songs the DVD are tight and CHEAP TRICK remain a powerful live presence.

Technically, MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS is a low budget affair, with the band performing on a crowded stage in a small club. Though these limitations don’t affect CHEAP TRICK’s musical delivery, the camera equipment seems to be lacking and the video quality is sometimes poor. It appears that Rhino didn’t spend any money to remaster the video quality, as scratches, lines, and ghosting appears consistently throughout the presentation. The colorful light show appears muted and over shadowed by the inky blacks. The DVD authoring results in further digital atrocities such as aliasing and shimmering. To make up for this debacle, thankfully the folks at Rhino remastered these fine performances into a powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The guitars emanate from the front soundstage while Robin Zander’s smooth voice reverberates from the center speaker to the rear surrounds. This is a precise, clear Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that is lacking in only one area—the drums and bass need to be higher in the mix. From the Special Features menu, you can accessing the bands Website, buy merchandise, view the discography, and read Billy Corrigan’s liner notes. Rhino Home Video also included a feature length audio commentary with the bandmembers themselves. And the guys of CHEAP TRICK are fun loving folks who have their tongues-firmly-in-cheek. So if you are expecting some serious self analysis of the band and their musical output, you won’t find it here. However, Rhino did include a six minute interview with the band members who fondly discuss the tourdates for the MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS gig, their history, and their favorite instruments. The band acknowledges that their live show is what makes them special. And CHEAP TRICK fans all over the world tend to agree.

CHEAP TRICK is a band with a great heritage and its a pleasure to see them in this capacity, honoring their roots and playing so many great songs that they haven’t played live in years. MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS is a great concert and a must for CHEAP TRICK fans, despite the video quality on this DVD. The main strengths on display here, namely CHEAP TRICK’s conviction, live sound, and performances rival anything heard on their perennial live album, LIVE AT BUDOKHAN. The audio commentary is like sitting around with the band after the show and will warrant additional attention. MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS is a sure treat for fans of CHEAP TRICK.

CHEAP TRICK: MUSIC FOR HANGOVERS is available from DVDEmpire.com